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emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Booking a trip to Lake Michigan asap! This book is excellent (not that I expected anything less from Emily Henry). I loved Daphne and Miles. They have both been through it but are finding their way to the other side. I just love the comfort that they have with each other, especially after the lack of that they’ve had from previous partners and their parents. Honorable mention to the friendship between Daphne and Ashleigh. Definitely recommend this for the Emily girlies or anyone into the roommates trope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emily henry never misses, something about her hybrid romance/women's fiction writing really works for me... loved this so much, the last hundred pages really pushed it into five stars. it was lovely to see daphnes character growth and independence and fake dating/forced proximity are tropes that do it for me every time
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just adore Emily Henry! I got this book on the day it came out and couldn’t put it down. I loved Daphne and Miles’ love story and the fact that she didn’t feel worthy of other people really hit home for me. I truly connected with Daphne in that way, as I’ve been feeling a lot like her in my life lately. It was refreshing to read a romance that not only taught me more about my myself, but also had an amazing set of characters that were all lovable in their own way. I love the way Emily Henry writes and I absolutely adored this book, highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The book was off to a promising start. I enjoyed the characters and the banter. Then it started to fall a bit flat. I didn't find the second half very convincing, and a lot of it was just sad.
P.S.: The miscommunication trope really has a chokehold on Emily Henry and it's getting old.
P.S.: The miscommunication trope really has a chokehold on Emily Henry and it's getting old.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abandonment
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even though this wasn’t my favorite Emily Henry book, I did enjoy Funny Story.
At times the plot felt a little lackluster and it felt as though nothing was really happening. But I eat up the fake dating trope every time.
I found the characters lovable (except Peter and Petra 😡) and Miles & Daphne make my heart swoon. Their witty banter and romantic scenes were everything. They felt real. I think it was important that not only did they help each other heal from their breakups but also helped each other start to heal from their traumatic childhoods.
I also really loved the friendship between Daphne and Ashleigh. In fact, Ashleigh, along with Miles’ sister Julia, was actually one of my favorite characters.
At times the plot felt a little lackluster and it felt as though nothing was really happening. But I eat up the fake dating trope every time.
I found the characters lovable (except Peter and Petra 😡) and Miles & Daphne make my heart swoon. Their witty banter and romantic scenes were everything. They felt real. I think it was important that not only did they help each other heal from their breakups but also helped each other start to heal from their traumatic childhoods.
I also really loved the friendship between Daphne and Ashleigh. In fact, Ashleigh, along with Miles’ sister Julia, was actually one of my favorite characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My summary: Daphne Vincent is devastated when her fiancé, Peter, breaks up with her on the morning after his bachelor party—for his longtime *platonic* best friend, Petra. In desperation of needing a place to live, Daphne ends up moving into the apartment of Petra’s ex, Miles. Her and Miles generally stay out of each other’s way for weeks until one night of wallowing leads to a fake dating lie in an attempt to make their exes jealous. As the fake dating ruse leads to friendship, the blur between which feelings are real or fake becomes more confusing.
My thoughts:
This is an absolutely hilarious story of a jilted bride going on to fake date her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex. But there is also a lot of depth to the story as well. You can’t help but immediately fall in love with Daphne and Miles—and then, in turn, root for them to fall in love.
I devoured this book in two days. I really appreciate the character arcs of both Daphne and Miles. Although I wanted a warm and fuzzy romance with the only strife being the whole jilted bride start to the story, I think it was so much better because of the focus on the personal issues that Daphne and Miles each face and overcome. It IS a warm and fuzzy love story, but with a lot of layers to it that give it a rawness that I wasn’t expecting yet thoroughly enjoyed.
I always enjoy the book-oriented characters in Emily Henry’s books and this one features Daphne as a children’s librarian. I really enjoyed that element of the story and I love my local library so I appreciate the homage to small local libraries.
I avoided romance as a genre for my most of adult life—too many Nora Robert’s-style romances as a 13-year old kind of ruined the genre for me. Then Emily Henry’s Beach Read came along years ago and it was my first of what I would call a contemporary romance. And I absolutely adored it and the way I felt while reading it. It opened up romance as a genre to me and now I have found myself mostly reading romance in the years since. Beach Read will likely always be my favorite of hers for this reason—but Funny Story is a darn close second place for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Abandonment, Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Classism